1. A good name] Heb. a name, as in Ecclesiastes 7:1. Comp. Sir 41:12 :

“Have regard to thy name;

For it continueth with thee longer than a thousand great treasures of gold.”

loving favour rather than] Or, favour is better than, A.V. and R.V. marg.

2. Comp. Proverbs 29:13. The true remedy for social inequalities is not to abolish them, but to recognise Who it is that has appointed them, and the obligations of mutual consideration and respect which they involve.

3. foreseeth] Rather, seeth.

are punished] Rather, suffer for it., R.V. text. “Heb. are mulcted” R.V. marg.; ἐζημιώθησαν, LXX.; afflictus est damno, Vulg. The proverb occurs again Proverbs 27:12.

4. By humility &c.] Rather, The reward of humility and (or, even) of the fear of the Lord. The copula and is dispensed with in the Heb. because of the similarity, amounting almost to identity, of humility and the fear of Jehovah. Comp. Matthew 5:3; Matthew 5:5.

6. in the way he should go] Lit. according to his way. The injunction contemplates not only the broad principles of education, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, which are the same for all, but their adaptation to each particular case, in a careful study of individual character and capacity, and with a thoughtful regard to future course of life: “his way.”

7. servant] not necessarily by being sold to him as a slave (Leviticus 25:30. Comp. Jeremiah 34:13; Jeremiah 34:17); but more generally as being compelled to do his bidding.

8. vanity] Better, with R.V. text, calamity; κακὰ, LXX.; mala, Vulg.

the rod of his anger] i.e. his power to vent his wrath upon others. Comp. Isaiah 14:6.

The LXX. add to this verse ἄνδρα ἱλαρὸν καὶ δότην εὐλογεῖ ὁ Θεὸς, which is quoted by St Paul, 2 Corinthians 9:7.

9. bountiful] Lit. good, in contrast with an evil or grudging eye, Proverbs 23:6-7.

10. Cast out] The gloss of the LXX. illustrates the meaning of the proverb:

“Cast out of the assembly the scorner, and strife will go out with him,

For while he remains in the assembly he insults every one,”

and fills the assembly, we may add, with mutual abuse and recrimination.

11. for the grace of] If this rendering be retained, with both A.V. and R.V. text, it will mean that purity of heart, honest and good motives, will produce such winning speech as, by contrast with the empty and hollow flattery of the courtier, will conciliate the favour of the king. Comp. Proverbs 16:13, and Ecclesiastes 10:12 : “the words of the wise are gracious.”

We may render, however, with R.V. marg., “that hath grace in his lips,” and then the meaning will be that if he who has pure motives (loveth pureness of heart) has also a happy gift of expressing himself (grace in his lips), he will be sure to make the king his friend.

12. knowledge] R.V. rightly inserts him that hath, before knowledge.

transgressor] Rather, treacherous man, R.V.

13. slain] or, more in accordance with the usual meaning of the Heb. word, murdered, R.V. The sluggard then offers two absurd excuses for not going forth to his business. ‘Without,’ he says, beyond the city walls, in the open country, ‘there is a lion,’ ready to tear me in pieces (comp. Jeremiah 5:6); even into ‘the streets’ I dare not venture, lest there some ruffian should ‘murder’ me.”

When, however, the proverb recurs (Proverbs 26:13), it is the lion that is the professed object of dread within the city:

The sluggard saith, There is a lion in the way,

A lion is in the streets.

14. a deep pit] such as is dug by a hunter for his prey. Comp. Proverbs 23:27.

15. bound] Better, bound up, R.V. Comp., for the force of the Heb. word, Genesis 44:30.

16. shall surely come] Or, cometh only, R.V. Two opposite methods of self-aggrandisement, grinding the poor and currying favour with the rich, have a common end in penury.

Some, however, would render, He that oppresseth the poor (does it) to increase his (the poor man’s) gain, because he urges him to fresh and successful effort; He that giveth to the rich (does it) only to (the rich man’s) want, because he encourages him in the sloth and indulgence which bring him to poverty. But this is far-fetched, and the suggestion that by oppressing your neighbour you may after all prove to be his benefactor is out of harmony with the moral tone of this Book.

17. the words of the wise] Comp. Proverbs 1:6, Proverbs 24:23.

III. Second Collection of Proverbs

Chap. Proverbs 22:17 to Proverbs 24:22A short Preface or Introduction, Proverbs 22:17-21.

The body of the Collection, Proverbs 22:22 to Proverbs 24:22.

17–21. This short paragraph is at once a conclusion and an introduction, a pause in the continuous teaching of the same Teacher, in which he sums up what had gone before, and opens the way for further instruction. In our present Hebrew text there is no break between the 16th and 17th verses of this chapter, but there is a slight break, to which however no special importance can be attached, between the 21st and 22nd verses. The R.V. is so printed as to indicate the commencement of a new section at Proverbs 22:17, and of a fresh paragraph at Proverbs 22:22.

On the characteristics of the Section see Introduction, pp. 36, 37.

18. they shall withal be fitted in] Rather, if they be established together upon, R.V.; i.e. if being kept securely in thy heart they dwell constantly on thy lips.

19. made known] The R.V. made them known, makes the sense a little clearer.

20. excellent things] The word has been thought to denote the chief of the three persons who formed the complement of an ancient war-chariot, and so to mean principal or excellent. In Proverbs 8:6 “excellent things” are literally princely things or words. The LXX. and Vulg., however, render the word literally, “thrice,” or “in threefold form,” τρισσῶς, tripliciter, possibly with the idea of reiteration to impress the lesson. Comp. Acts 10:16.

Another reading is heretofore, or long ago. If this be adopted, the reference may be either to the earlier sections of this Book, or to the fact that what is now promulgated had been committed to writing long ago, and was therefore no hasty utterance.

This passage has borne a prominent part in the history of Biblical exegesis. By it, understood (with the LXX. and Vulg. quoted above) of “threefold” teaching, or teaching “in triple form,” Origen supported his doctrine of the threefold meaning of Holy Scripture. “By Solomon in the Proverbs,” he writes, “we find some such rule as this enjoined respecting the divine doctrines of Scripture: ‘And do thou portray them in a threefold manner, in counsel and knowledge, to answer words of truth to them who propose them to thee.’ ” And so, he adds, comparing the threefold sense of Scripture to the tripartite division of man into body, soul and spirit, the simple will be edified, “by the flesh,” or obvious sense of Scripture, and the more advanced by its “soul,” while the perfect (1 Corinthians 2:6-7) may attain to the spiritual law itself, De Princip. Bk. iv. ch. 1.

21. send unto thee] Rather, send thee, with A.V. marg. and R.V.

The verse is well rendered in the Rel. Tract. Society’s Annotated Bible:

“To teach thee truth, even words of faithfulness;

That thou mayest bring back faithful words to them that send thee”; i.e. to train thee in truthfulness, that thou mayest be faithful and trustworthy in whatever business thou art employed.

The body of the Collection

Chap. Proverbs 22:22 to Proverbs 24:2222. because] Which may either mean, Do not let his poverty and consequent defencelessness be a temptation to thee to wrong him, or, Let it be a motive with thee to abstain through pity from doing so. The latter meaning is indicated in R.V. marg. by rendering for, instead of because. πτωχὸς γάρ ἐστι, LXX.

the gate] The place of business (Genesis 34:20), and of judgement, (Deuteronomy 21:19).

23. soul] Rather, life.

And despoil of life those that despoil them, R.V.

24. an angry man] Better, a man that is given to anger, R.V. Lit a lord of anger. ἀνδρὶ θυμώδει, LXX.; homini iracundo, Vulg.

furious] Rather, wrathful, R.V.

26. strike hands] i.e. as a surety. See Proverbs 6:1 note.

27. he] i.e. the creditor.

28. Comp. Proverbs 23:10; Deuteronomy 19:14.

29. stand before] Comp. 1 Kings 10:8.

mean] “Heb. obscure” R.V. marg.